Sanitary teeth-cleaner



R. HASBROOK.

SANITARY TEETH CLEANER. APPLICAUQN man JUNE 2,1919.

1,346, 125. Patented July 413, 1920.

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UNITE `stares ROY HASBROK, OF YORK, N. Y.

SANITARY TEETH-CLEANER.

Application .inea June 2. 1919.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, Roi' lilasnnooii, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of N ew York, in the county ot New York and State of N ew York, have invented certain new and useiul improvements in Sanitary leeth-Gleaners, of which the :following is a i'ull, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to sanitary teeth cleaners, my more particular purpose being to provide a device of this type which can be made up cheaply from cut or stamped pieces ot stock material and which may be readily sold as a so-called ten cent article or may be embodied in a tooth brush set.

My invention further contemplates a device oi this character so constructed that it may be readily taken apart or divided into Isections which can easily be grouped or nested. together, and in which the dili'erent parts are readily replaceable.

My invention `lurther contemplates a device oil' this kind in which one part is movable relatively to another for the purpose of facilitating the application of the device to the teeth.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specilication, and in which like letters indicate like parts throughout the several figures.

Figure l is a perspective showing one form of my device complete and ready for use.

Fig. 2 is a perspective showing the several parts of the device as detached :from each other, but assembled in positions suggestive ot the manner in which they are to be connected.

Fig. 3 is a perspective showing one type of container forming a part of my device.

Fig. t is a perspective of a clip for holding a dili'erent type of container and forming a part of my device.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective showing another type of container used as a part of my device and employed in connection with the clip shown in Fig. 4.

wire frame 6 is provided with two straight portions 7l disposed parallel with each other and with a middle portion 8 con- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1920. semi no. 301,253.

The frame G is end portions 9 in Fig. 5 and tongues l2-l3, integral with it and struck, cut or stamped so as to be partially severed from the main body of the shank.

A. hole let is provided and is disposed close to one end ot the shank, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2. A pivot pin let is adapted to extend through the hole let. A

leaf l5 made ci? sheet metal has a form indi-` cated more particularly in Fig. 2. This leali` is provided with a hole lo into which'the pivot pin lll may be extended ai'ter beingA thrust through the hole lgJf. With the pivot pin li extending through the hole lll and into the hole 1G, it is riveted, brazed, soldered, or otherwise lirmly secured to the leaf l5.

Extending from the edges of the leatl l5, and bent toward each other, are a pair of tongues l?, serving as guides, as hereinafter described. The leaf l5 carries a member 18, integral with it, and having a general an cuate form. rllhe member 1S is provided with edge portions 19, 2l), integral. with it, and disposed parallel to each other, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2. The space between the edges 19 and 2O constitutes a groove having a general arcuate form. Ail ter the pivot lila is secured in position, as above described, it appears as indicateffl at Mb near the top oi fFig. l.

A container 2l is made ot metal and has' the general form of an elongated box, as shown more particularly in Figs. l and 3. rlilhe container is provided` with a pair of grooves 22, and extended parallel Awith its general longitudinal aXis. The container is further vprovided with a cap 23 with holes 25 through it, this cap being provided with a pair oi.l oppositely disposed grooves 24. Thus the container with its cap is as a unit, provided with a pair of `oppositely disposed disposed upon its opposite sidesv grooves extending throughout its entireV length. The container 2l carriesra supply ot' dental floss in the form of a thread 26.

Y portions This thread extends outwardly through one of the holes 25 and into engagement with one ofthe tongues 17, which thus serves as a guide for the thread. Thence the thread extends between the flanges 19M-2O and is provided with a portion 26a extending like a bow string across the arcuate member 18. The thread is also provided with a portion 26b which extends back between the arcuate anges 19-.20 and into engagement with the tongue 17.

The operator, the portion 26b` can draw ou-t a floss from the container. he necessarily brings out length of lthe floss and it is necessary to cut this off. For this purpose, the operator simply brings the dental floss around under one oftheV tongues 12er 13 and Aby giving it a little jerk, causes the tongue to cut the thread of floss. VThis operation may be re peated as often as desired "is repeated, it brings a new portion 26a of the .dental floss into the space between the ends of the arcuate guide member 18.

f desired, `the clip 27, shown more particularlyin Fig. a, can be used in connection with the wire` frame 6, and for this pur pose the clip is provided with reverting edge portions 28. The clip is connected to the wire frame 6 by simply forcing a part of the body portion 27 between the parallel 7 of the wire frame, so that the edge portions 28 lodge against the portions 7 of the frame. A container 29, which may be made of glass, fits neatly into Vthe clip 27 when the latter is mounted in position, as may be understood from Fig. 6. The container 28 carries a screw cap 30, which is provided with 'holes 81 through which `the dental floss thread26 may be drawn. The advantage of the container shown in Fig. 3 ist'hat, being made entirely of metal, it

can of the container 29 shown in Fig. 6 is that itis of a type already in common use and may be purchased in practically any Vdepartment store or ten cent store and used, if need be, without alteration.

The container shown in Fig. 3 is secured to thel wire frame container in between the 'two parallel portions 7 of this frame, so that the said parallel portions occupy the grooves `22. In order to remove the container, a slight pressure is applied to it in a lateral direction, so as to force it out from. the parallel portions 7 of the wire frame.

Owing to the fact that the shank 10 has a slight curvature, as indicated inFig.v 5, it has, relative to the leaf 15, a slight spring or washer-like action, so that there is always a 'gentle'presure between the leaf 15 andthe adjacent portion of the shank 10.

by grasping the free end of and pulling upon the same, few inches of the dental In. doing this,

a superfluous Y and every time it be constructed cheaply. An advantage 6 by merely forcingfthe Owing to this fact, the leaf 15 may be adjusted or tilted to different angles relative to the shank 10. Y

ylilith the parts in the ,positions indicated in Fig. 1 the operator, by pressing his thumb upon the thread 26 and' against any adjacent convenient portion of the shank 10, and at the same time pulling hard upon the end portion 26 of the thread, can tighten the thread and wedge it tightly underneath each of the tongues 17, so that the exposed portion 26a remains under tension.

The thread may. also be passedvbenea'th and partially around one or both ofthe tongues12, 18, and thus secured tightly in position. Each tongue used as a cutter and as a thread.

The reverting portions 11 also serve as fastener for the `guides for the thread.V

form shown at 21 or of the form appearing` at 29, serves as a handle whereby Vthe device may be readily manipulated.

The device as a whole may be treated muchv after the manner -of an Y ordinary'tooth brush, or maybe taken apart as indicated in Fig. 2 and when it is taken apart, the various pieces may be easily nested together Vor, assembled so las lto occupy a comparatively small space. They vmay, if desired, be carried in a little box or packet of any convenient form.

l do not limit myself to the precise mechanism shown, asvariations` may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim 1. A device ofv the character described, comprising a wire frame provided with means for supporting a container and further provided with a pair of extending end portions; a shank provided with a pair of reverting edge portionsfor engaging said extending end portions, said shank being furtherprovided with a tongue serving as a cutter a leaf pivotally mounted upon said shank and provided with a portion formed into an Varcuate guiding member for receiving a length of lioss'supplied'from said container, and means for maintaining an exposed portion of said floss stretched across 12, 13 can also be tilts it as desired inV desired position i said arcuate the teeth.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a shank made of sheet metal, slightly curved in cross section, a leaf of sheet metal fitted against said shank, a connecting member for holding said leaf against said shank so that the curvature of said shank serves to maintain a gentle pressure between said leaf and said shank in order to render said leaf adjustable into different positions relative to said shank, a member carried by said leaf and bent into a general arcuate form for the purpose of supporting a member of dental floss, and means carried by said leaf for guiding said portion of dental floss relative to said member.

3. A device of the character described comprising a handle made of a single piece of spring Wire, made double so as to presont a pair of Wire members disposed parallel to each other, means for detachably supporting between said Wire members a container for thread, and mechanism carried by said handle for maintaining said thread taut.

il. L device of the character described, comprising a shank member for supporting a portion of thread in order to enable the same to be used for cleaning the teeth, a Wire handle engaging said shank member and having substantially a U-form, and a container provided with a pair of oppoguiding member, for use upon f sitely disposed grooves for detachably receiving a pair of oppositely disposed portions of said Wire handle in order to detachaply support said container upon said han de.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a shank member for supporting a portion of thread in order to enable the same to-be used for cleaning the teeth, a Wire handle engaging said shank member and having substantially a U-form, a separate clip made of sheet metal bent so as to engage a pair of oppositely disposed portions of said Wire handle so as to enable said Wire handle to detachably support said clip when sprung in between said oppostely disposed portions thereof, and a thread container of such form as to fit detachably into said Wire clip, so as to be supported thereby.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a shank made of sheet metal and provided With a pair of arcuate guiding members extending' from it in opposite directions for holding a thread, said guiding members being integral with said shank member and so disposed that a thread engaging said guiding members is held taut and free, said shank member being further provided With a pair of ears located at the base of said pair of guiding members, said ears being so formed as to extend back- Wardly upon said shank and to extend toward each other, for the purpose of guiding said thread.

ROY HASBROOK. 

